The first edition of the classic early guide to the sights and history of Peking. Juliet Bredon — niece of Sir Robert Hart of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs, and long resident in the city — wrote not a mere Baedeker but an intimate portrait, weaving local legend, personal observation and cultural nuance through the architectural history of the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palaces, the Ming tombs and the Great Wall.

It remains among the most atmospheric accounts of the imperial capital in the last years before its transformation.

xv, [1], 478 pp. Numerous illustrations from photographs; five folding maps and plans, including a large folding map at the rear. Octavo (230 × 145 mm), orange silk over paper boards, expertly rebacked with red cloth.

Very good: the boards renewed and rubbed, bookplate present, light toning throughout; the folding maps intact. A sound copy of a book that is hard to find complete with all its maps.

PROVENANCE

Bookplate present.